One Shot of Jin, Please
by bulletproof trucker hats
Summary: A series of one shots, featuring Jin, with any female I think fits the bill! Used to be 'Not Love'.
1. Not Love

Jin had been acting odd lately, and Touya could guess why.

"You're in love, aren't you?"

The wind master looked up, startled, from where he had been staring out the window.

"Excuse me?"

"You. You're in love." Touya repeated patiently. "Well? Who's the lucky demoness?"

Jin flushed, a strange color that clashed with his red hair.

"Ah'm _not_ in love."

Touya shrugged, unconvinced, but decided to let the matter drop.

***~~~***

Jin hadn't exactly been lying to the ice master. What he felt right now wasn't exactly love. And it sure as hell wasn't with a _demoness._

She was a _miko_. The natural enemy of his race, and yet he was drawn to her all the same.

But, no, it wasn't love.

Not yet, anyway.

He simply _watched_ her. Not in the stalker-ey sense of the word More of a he wanted to protect her sense. And, to protect her, he had to _see_ her.

The tiniest things about her enthralled him.

Her love of oden.

Her patience with her elderly grandfather's stories.

Her loving teasing of her little brother.

How she put up with her so-called 'friends'.

And, oh, how he wanted to _kill_ that...that…_Hobo_ guy. Surely, Koenma wouldn't notice _one_ unimportant ningen, say…_disappearing off the face of the earth_?

She'd been hurt by love before, but, she was still like the wind, wild, unrestrained, free, and maybe that was why Jin found her so alluring.

But, no, it wasn't love.

Not yet, anyway.

***~~~***

Touya looked over at his friend, who had sighed yet _again_.

"So, have you talked to her yet?"

You'd think Jin'd stop being surprised by the ice master's question by now.

"Hmmm? Who'm Ah talkin' to, now?"

Touya rolled his eyes.

"That girl, the one who has your heart. Do you even know her _name_?"

He did.

He just wasn't telling Touya that.

Her name was Kagome.

What a joke _that_ was. It was like her very _name_ was warning her away from him.

'_Stay _away_, miko. Stay away from the nasty, dangerous youkai. They'll kill you, you know._'

"You should at _least_ meet her. Maybe she'll return your feelings." Touya continued.

But he wouldn't.

He wasn't worthy of her, of her kindness, or her purity.

Not yet, anyway.

And until he _was, _Jin was content to watch his miko from the shadows, protecting her.

"So, what's she like?"

"Oi! Would ye stop askin' me about the lass?!?"

"Okay! Okay, Jin, calm down!"

There was a moment of silence between the two masters.

"She's something real special, isn't she, Jin?"

The wind master allowed a small smile at his ice master friend.

"She is indeed, Touya. She really is."


	2. Falling

She'd _finally_ done it! She was free! Free! FREE! She had her own heart back from the evil bastard who had spawned her, said evil bastard was now dead (for real, this time), and _now_, she answered to _no one_ and _nothing_.

Free.

"Whoa there, lass! Watch where ye be flyin'! There be others _tryin'_ to enjoy th' breeze!"

A strong gust of wind blew against her, forcing her feather into a dead stop.

"What the _hell_…"

A chuckle sounded, as a figure descended from above her.

"Feisty now, ain't ye? Ah like that!"

Kagura's breath caught. The male before her was just as stunning as Sesshomaru, albeit in a different way.

Where Sesshomaru was clear-cut and precise, _this_ male was rougher around the edges, and she'd bet his temperament was closer to the taiyoukai's hanyou brother, than to the Killing Perfection's.

Sesshomaru was icy and unapproachable. _He_ seemed warmer, easier to get close to.

While Sesshomaru _was_ attractive, he _obviously _wasn't going to spontaneously return her feeling any time in the foreseeable future.

And, Kagura thought, looking at the red-head's infectious grin, _this_ guy looked like he would rather _enjoy_ falling for someone. Preferably _her_.

She gave him a sultry smirk. "They call me Kagura, the Wind Witch. And _you_ are…?"

His grin widened. "M'name's Jin, darlin'. An' Ah'm th' _Master_ of th' Wind."

He studied the Wind Witch.

She _looked_ like what he thought the wind would look like, if the wind one day decided to take ningen- sorry, _youkai_- form.

Yes indeed, he would enjoy falling for this wind witch, this Kagura.

Just as long as there wasn't any _actual_ falling involved.

***~~~***

**_Message from Goth Lolita!_**

_Next up might be JinxSango! If you have a pairing you want to see, tell me, and I'll see what I can think up!_

_Remember, read and review!_


	3. Warrior

_I might make another part to this one. Because JinxSango is one of my most loved pairings._

_This one isn't actually a romantic-type pairing. This one is just friendship, Jin and Sango aren't going to end up together, no matter how much I love them. (Or how much they love each other.)_

***~~~***

He knew there was something about her the moment he set eyes on her. While he didn't know ningen all that well, he _did_ know women. And, now, in this day and age, women just _didn't_ move like that.

Like a predator stalking it's prey.

Like a snake coiled to strike.

Like a warrior.

Please, do not misunderstand. Jin was in no way chauvinistic. He had known and _respected_ many female fighters over his many years. It was just that, nowadays, most girls preferred make up and silly ningen 'crushes', over the harsh training of mind and body that warriors had to go through.

But _she_ walked like a hardened fighter, which piqued Jin's interest.

And, it helped that she was pretty.

So he followed her, unseen.

Or, so he thought.

She ducked down a shadowy alley. It turned out to be a dead end.

Had the girl made a mistake, and taken a wrong turn?

Jin's jaw dropped at her next words.

"Come out, youkai. I know you're there."

He was amazed, and dropped his shield, allowing her to see him.

"Youkai." she greeted, giving him a curt nod.

"What _are_ ye, lass?" he asked, confused. How had she sensed him? She had too little reiki, so _how_-

"I'm a taijia." she said, voice matter of fact.

He frowned. "Th' last taijia died five hundred years ago, lass."

She smiled, slightly sad. "Yes. I did."

***~~~***

_**Message from Goth Lolita!**_

_I don't know who I'm going to pair up next. Ideas, anyone? I will take suggestions! If I make a one shot out of your idea, I'll dedicate that part of the fic to you! How can you refuse?_

_Yes, yes, easily, I know. But, at least Read and Review! Seriously, it takes, literally, one minute!_


	4. What's In A Name?

_Dedicated to _kagome13cdj_, for the idea of a JinxRin pairing. This is strictly friendship, because a romantic pairing between Jin and a five year old girl is just plain wrong. _

_Enjoy!_

_***~~~***_

Jin was taking a break. He was powerful, yes, but with power came responsibility and burdens. He was _tired_.

And besides, Jin thought, he _deserved _this.

He was sitting alone, in a meadow, just relaxing. Listening to the ningen going about their simple, uncomplicated lives in a nearby village. Feeling the wind tickle his skin. His ears twitched contentedly. Yeah, _this_ was the life. His eyes drifted shut…

Only to snap back open, when a footstep…_footsteps_…sounded in his meadow-haven.

He scanned the clearing.

There. It was a two-headed dragon, a young, ningen girl, and a green toad…_thing_.

He winced, and his ears ceased their movement.

A green toad-thing, with a rather shrill, annoying voice. The wind master stood, and approached the odd group.

"Oi! Would ye shut yer gob, ye chatterin' beastie?" he snapped, grabbing the toad-thing by the scruff of it's neck.

"Put me down!" it squawked. "Do you know who I _am_?!"

"No. Nor do ah _care_, so cease yer yammerin'!" Jin growled.

"I am _Jaken_! Loyal servant of the great and powerful-"

"What's your name?" the little ningen interrupted.

Jin looked down at her, and couldn't help but grin back at the gap-toothed smile she offered him. "Mah name's Jin, little lassie." he told her, dropping the still-spluttering Jaken with an audible '_thud_'.

Her smile widened. "Jin's name matched Rin's!" she cheered excitedly, before remembering her manners, and bowing. "Rin is Rin." she told him solemnly.

His ears twitched in amusement. "Well, now, ain't that the darndest thing!" he said.

She nodded. "Yup! And Jaken-sama already introduced himself, and that's-" Here, she pointed to the dragon. "-Ah-Un!"

Jin frowned. "Rin, darlin'…" he said, voice serious. "Meanin' no disrespect t' yer friends, but ain't ye got somebody _else_ t' take care of ye?"

Rin resembled a bobble-head at this point.

Not that Jin would know that, bobble-heads not being invented yet.

"Sesshomaru-sama takes care of Rin!"

"Rin." a deep voice spoke.

Jin's head shot up, and he met the impassive, golden stare of the Lord of the Western Lands.

The girl was by the taiyoukai's side in an instant, Ah-Un following more slowly, dragging an irate, struggling Jaken with him.

She waved. "Bye, Jin!" He could only watch dumbly, as they walked away.

"That was Jin, milord! Our names match!"

"Hn."

***~~~***

_**Message from Goth Lolita!**_

_So, there it is! My attempt at a meeting between Jin and Rin! I want to know what you guys think!_

_And, seriously, what pairings do you want to see? I'll even do repeat pairings, if I have a new idea for them._

_And, as always, READ and REVIEW!_


	5. Battle Scars

It was time-travel, she explained, the next time they met. That, and a mystical sword that _gave_ life, instead of stealing it.

It sounded like the Lord of Makai's blade, and Jin said as much.

"So, Sesshomaru's still alive here? Figures he'd be in charge of something big." was her response.

"Aye, lass. D'ye wish t' see him?"

She shook her head. "No. Seeing him would only serve to bring back too many bad memories."

And, as he got to know her, he understood.

Five hundred years ago, she had been broken, body and spirit.

First, her clan had been brutally slaughtered. Only her brother and herself had survived. Her brother was her family's executioner. He was under the control of the evil hanyou, Naraku. Abyss. Hell.

She had joined the group hunting Naraku, and, eventually, had fallen in love, with the hentai monk, Miroku. He, too, had a reason to hate Naraku. Long ago, the hanyou had cursed his family with a hell-hole in his right hand, which would, given enough time, swallow him.

After numerous battles and countless adventures, they had defeated the twisted hanyou.

But victory came at a heavy price.

Her entire pack- the inu hanyou, the houshi she loved, the miko from the future, the kitsune kit, the fire neko- all had perished. The taijia had died with them.

Jin could only imagine how surprised she had been, when she opened her eyes.

Sesshomaru had saved her. He never told her why her, why not someone else. He had simply handed her the Shikon shard from her brother's back, and allowed her to complete the Tama.

She hadn't seen him since. She had jumped down the miko's well, perhaps seeking death, knowing she wouldn't pass through, or maybe hoping beyond hope that she would make it.

She never told him which it was.

He never asked.

Again, Jin could only imagine her shock, when she appeared in the miko's shrine.

The miko's family had found her and, understanding what had happened, welcomed her into their home. A new daughter to replace the one they had lost. The one _she_ had lost for them.

It was her fault.

She never said it out loud, but Jin knew that was what she felt.

"Thank you." she said, when her tale was finally finished. "I suppose I just needed to talk to someone who wouldn't think me mad." She looked sad, forlorn, alone.

He wanted to hug her, offer her some form of comfort, but he knew she would shy from the contact.

"Y'know, lass, in all o' yer tale, ah never got yer name." he said instead.

She smiled, lighting up her face. "It's Sango." she told him

He nodded in approval. "A pretty name for a pretty lass, eh?"

She blushed. "What about you?"

He grinned. "Ah'm called Jin."

She was pretty when she smiled, it occurred to him. But, there was no way he'd fall for her.

She was too much like Urameshi, after all.

That would be just plain _weird_.

***~~~***

_Thanks to all the reviewers! You're all wonderful!_

_Next up, JinxKaede, another JinxKagome, and maybe a JinxOC!!!_

_Read and review, please!_


	6. Yourself

_Dedicated to _GoodLuckMotherFuckers_, for the pairing. Seriously, who would even _think_ about this pairing? But, I made Kaede _much_ younger, because, as I am fond of saying, old person love is simply ewwww. Enough said._

***~~~***

She'd never measure up to Kikyo.

She'd never be as good as her, or as pure.

She'd never be the perfect miko, the protector of the Shikon no Tama.

No matter how hard she tried, she'd never be her elder sister.

Kaede turned away from the Goshinboku, where InuYasha slept, trapped for all eternity.

How could something as perfect as their love have been twisted into _this_?

How could it have ended this way?

With Kikyo dead.

With InuYasha bound to eternal slumber.

_How_?

Blinking tears away from her one good eye, Kaede whirled on the cursed hanyou.

"Why?" she shouted. "She _loved_ you! Why would you betray her like that? How _could_ you?!?"

She hadn't expected an answer.

"Ye _do_ know, lassie, that th' hanyou can't hear ye?"

The voice wasn't coming from InuYasha- it was entirely different from his, anyway- so where was the speaker? Kaede looked around frantically, without seeing anyone else.

"Above ye, lassie."

The young miko looked up so quickly, she almost fell.

There, _floating_ cross-legged, was a man, with red hair, and blue eyes. He looked _almost _ningen.

Almost.

But Kaede saw the horn jutting out from his forehead. His pointed ears. The fang peaking out from under his lip. The claws. All added up to only one thing.

"Youkai." Kaede whispered.

"Miko." he said, grinning, and pointing at her. "An' now that we know _what_ we are, care t' explain why ye were talkin'- screamin', ah should say- at that poor hanyou?"

She _should_ purify him.

But Kaede wanted to talk to _somebody_ who wouldn't compare her to Kikyo.

So, there she sat, against the Goshinboku, Jin, as he'd introduced himself to her, bobbing a few inches above the ground.

"Ah'd heard o' the uncommon beauty the Shikon miko possessed…" Jin said finally.

Kaede's heart sunk.

"An' when ah saw _ye_, I was certain the rumors spoke true."

Kaede flushed scarlet.

"Seems t' me, that these villagers must be might addled, t' think ye could be yer sister." He frowned.

Kaede jumped to her feet. She hadn't known Jin all that long, but his words hurt all the same.

"Whoa, whoa, lassie! Where're ye goin', in such a tizzy?" Jin exclaimed, standing, feet connecting firmly with the ground. "Ah merely meant that yer _yerself_, an' not yer sister. Don't ye think it silly, for them t' want ye t' be somebody other than yerself?"

He gently brushed the tears from her eye.

"Yer perfect simply bein' yerself, darlin'." he said softly.

Kaede looked up at Jin in shock.

Maybe she'd never measure up to Kikyo.

Maybe she'd never be as good, or as pure.

Maybe she'd never be the perfect miko, the protector of the Shikon no Tama.

Maybe she'd never be her elder sister.

But, _maybe_…she didn't _have_ to.

She glanced at InuYasha, who was oblivious to his surroundings.

But, _maybe_, she had _one_ thing in common with her sister…

Or…maybe _not_.

After all, Kaede had her eye on a _full_ youkai.

***~~~***

_Suggestions, please? And Review! _


	7. Caged Bird

_I'm baaaaack! Goth Lolita apologizes for her lazy ways (and the fact that she has no wish to fail, and go to summer school…) But, now, here is a shiny, new one-shot, fresh from my notebook! Please, hold your applause. With any luck, I will be updating _Similarities_ soon, as well, but don't hold your breath. I wouldn't want to be responsible for a bunch of oxygen-deprived fic junkies. (Don't get offended. I, too, am a proud member of Anime Anonymous.) Soooo, anywho, this one-shot is dedicated to _kagome13cdj_._

_

* * *

_

_Kagome, Kagome, bird in a cage,_

_When will you come out?_

_In the evening of the dawn, _

_The crane and turtle slipped._

_Who stands behind you now?_

_Kagome, Kagome, bird in a cage…_

That was her name. Kagome.

It was also the reason he'd never be able to approach her. Kagome Higurashi. Out of _all _the ningen girls her could have _possibly_ fallen for, she had to be the _one_ that lived on a _shrine_. Doubtless, she'd have been taught the old ways. Doubtless, she would recognize him for what he was.

Youkai. Akuma. Demon.

Jin laughed, a little bitterly, from high atop the giant tree- the Goshinboku, he'd heard the family call it. Out of _all_ the ningen girls he could have _possibly_ fallen for, she had to be the _one_ with _real_ power.

Miko. Shrine Maiden. Priestess. Ancient enemy to _his_ kind, since the Kami had created the world, since _before_ the Makai Barrier.

But…

_-Kagome, Kagome, bird in a cage…-_

She looked so _lonely_.

Yes, she had her friends. She had her family. She even had that _insufferable_ whelp, bringing her gifts. But the look in her eyes was one of loneliness.

"Why should th' lass be lonely?" Jin wondered.

_-Kagome, Kagome, bird in a cage…-_

The Wind Master was brought to abrupt attention by a young boy. "Kagome, what's in that old well-house?" When she replied, Jin heard tears in her voice. "Nothing, Takumi." she said. "Just memories."

'Memories, hmmm?' Jin thought.

_-Kagome, Kagome, bird in a cage…-_

"Oi, Touya?" Jin asked, a few days later. The Ice Master looked up from where he sat with his mate, an icy panther demoness, named Toran. "What is it, Jin?"

Said red-head idly twirled a finger in the air, creating a slight breeze. "Where do ningen keep their memories?" Touya shrugged. "I would imagine they keep them in the same place youkai would." "Why ever would you ask such a thing?" Toran wondered aloud.

"It's nothing'" Jin replied. "Ah just met a caged bird, is all."

_-Kagome, Kagome, bird in a cage…-_

"Hey, Kagome, tell us a story!" said the child that Jin recognized as his miko's- wait. _His_ miko? When did he start thinking of her so _possessively_?- _the_ miko's nephew, Takumi.

"A story, huh?" Kagome laughed at the horde of children who always seemed to swarm around her. "What do you guys want to hear?"

"Adventure!" "Fighting!" "Heroes!" "Villains!"

"I'd like to hear something romantic…" one of the girls supplied, amid the 'booo'-ing of the boys.

"Hmmmm…" Kagome appeared to think. "What about this one- _The Girl Who Overcame Time_?"

"What's that one about?" Takumi asked

"You'll just have to listen and find out." she teased, and began.

***~~~*** The Girl Who Overcame Time ***~~~***

"_Once upon a time, in the Sengoku Jidaii, there was a powerful miko. Her name was Kikyo, and she was so pure that the taijia, the demon-slayer clan, entrusted to her a great and terrible duty: to protect and purify the Shikon no Tama."_

"What's the Shikon no Tama?" one of the children asked.

'The Shikon no Tama…' Jin thought in awe. 'The Jewel of Four Souls…' Able to grant any wish, give any amount of power, the Shikon was legend, even among youkai.

Kagome just smiled. "That's a _different_ story, Airi-chan. Maybe another time. Anyway…"

"_One day, something unexpected happened. Kikyo fell in love. He was a hanyou, InuYasha, son of the great InuTaishou and a ningen princess, Izayoi." _

"_At first, InuYasha was only interested in the jewel, for it's power- _No, Airi-chan, I'm not going to tell you about it just now- _it's power could make him a full youkai. But, gradually, he, too, began to love the miko…enough so that he decided to use it's power to become a ningen."_

"_But something went horribly, terribly wrong. On that promised day, InuYasha razed Kikyo's village to the ground. Mortally wounded, Kikyo used the last of her strength to seal her lover to the Goshinboku. And then, she died."_

"Kagome! Isn't _that_ the Goshinboku?" Takumi pointed to the tree Jin had hidden himself in.

"Why, yes. It is, Takumi-kun. Maybe it's the same tree, neh?" Kagome replied. "So…"

"_They burned the Shikon with her body. And thus, the Jewel of Four Souls left this world. And thus, there was relative peace for fifty years."_

An elderly woman emerged from the house. "Kagome! Souta and Chouko are ready to leave!" she called. "Could you send in Takumi and Airi?"

Kagome smiled at her niece and nephew. "You heard your grandma. Go on, now, go." Airi pouted. "But _Kagome_! You didn't finish the story!" The rest of the children joined in Airi's lament. Kagome held up her hands placating. "I'll finish the story the next time you're all here, don't you worry. I promise I won't forget."

Jin hoped not. This was just getting interesting.

* * *

Is_ it getting interesting? This is only part one, and I need another pairing before I post part two. So, keep those reviews a-coming! (I'll even do Jin x male character. Friendship, or rivalry, of course. Not that I hate yaoi, I just can't write it.)_

_Remember, Goth Lolita loooves you! _

_But only when you review her fics._


	8. Western Wind

_**Message from Goth Lolita!**_

_This one-shot is dedicated to _merlyn1382_. Thankies for the idea. _

_Also, this is a slight continuation of the Jin Rin one-shot, _What's In A Name?

* * *

'_What was the Lord of the Western Lands doing with a little, ningen child?_'

That was the thought that chased itself through Jin's head, even a week after encountering the strange group.

The little ningen's gap-toothed smile flashed in his mind, and Jin found himself grinning. "Aye, that was a cute wee lassie." he said aloud cheerfully.

"_Who_ was a 'cute wee lassie', Wind Master?" a cold voice inquired. Jin looked up from his lounge at the foot of the tree, to meet the icy glare of the Western Lord. To his credit, Jin recovered admirably. "Why, yer sweet retainer, lord. Charmin' lil' bugger, ain't 'e?" He turned his grin up to the taiyoukai.

The impassive glare didn't change. "Jaken is a male." he growled.

"Aw, is 'e, now? Shame on the wee, chatterin' beastie, then, for turnin' his feminine wiles on t' meself." Jin clutched at his heart. "Leadin' a fella on like that…t'ain't right, yer lordship."

"This Sesshomaru believes you were referring to his ward." Sesshomaru said in reply. Jin promptly leaped up, and began turning over rocks, and peering into the upper branches of his tree. He went so far as to circle the youkai lord himself, before Sesshomaru finally asked.

"What _are_ you doing, Wind Master?"

Jin didn't hesitate in his reply. "Ah'm lookin' for this other Sesshomaru you t'were speakin' of, lord. Ye t'weren't talkin' o' yerself, surely, in that turn o' phrase." he said. "Jest tell me where th' blighter's hidin', an' ah'll teach 'im t' use _yer_ name, if it pleases yer lordship."

Jin barely had any warning before Sesshomaru struck at him with his famed, destructive sword, Tokijin.

"Woah, woah, yer lordship!" Jin cried from his vantage point, safe, high in the air. "Don't ye know how t' take a wee bit o' friendly teasin'?"

Another strike. Jin flew further up in the air. "Apparently not."

And, as he made his escape from the homicidal taiyoukai, Jin wondered yet again: "What _was_ th' Lord o' th' Western Lands doin' with a wee bit o' ningen child?"

* * *

_And, yes, _Kurama's Foxy Rose_. I only love people who review. So, therefore, I must adore you, cuz you've reviewed more than once, on more than one of my fics!_

_All you others, take _Kurama's Foxy Rose's _example, and earn my affection!_

REVIEW_! And don't forget to give suggestions!_

_Another JinxKagome coming up next!_


	9. Caged Bird, Part Two

_Part two of _Caged Bird_! I hope you all like it! Again, dedicated to_ kagome13cdj.

* * *

_-Kagome, Kagome, bird in a cage…-_

"Hey, K'rama?" Jin asked. "Yes?" the kitsune avatar replied. "Have you ever heard o' a bauble by th' name o' th' Shikon no Tama?" the Wind Master inquired.

The kitsune froze. "What of it?" Jin shrugged. "Nuthin'. Ah just heard meself a pretty lass a-telling' the legend o' it." Kurama smirked. "_How_ pretty?" he asked.

Jin glared. "Don't ye be getting' any ideas, fox. Ah set me eyes on her afore ye." The kitsune backed away from the irked wind demon. "No need to worry. I was merely curious." Jin relented. "She's a pretty thing, with her black hair, an' her blue eyes. Delicate, ah'd suppose, 'cept she seems stronger." An odd gleam entered Kurama's green eyes. "Kagome…" he whispered. "Hmmm?" Jin asked. "What was that?" "Her _name_, Jin." the fox snapped. "What was her _name_?"

"T'was 'Kagome'. Unusual moniker, ain't it?"

"'_Kaa-san!_" Youko gasped, struggling free from his avatar's control.

_-Kagome, Kagome, bird in a cage…-_

By the time Jin guided Kurama to the Sunset Shrine, the children had returned, and the story had resumed.

"_But, Kikyo's sister, Kaede, now the village's miko, saw the truth. This strange young woman was the reincarnation of Kikyo."_

"_The Shikon no Tama had returned to this world. InuYasha woke from his slumber which was never supposed to end."_

"_However, when the jewel was stolen by a tengu, this new miko from the future shattered it into innumerable pieces. With the jewel thus scattered, InuYasha was bound to this new miko. And he _hated_ her, for looking like his dead lover, for the subjugation beads that allowed her to subdue him with a single word."_

"_And so, their journey began."_

"_Along the way, InuYasha and his miko companion gathered allies seeking the same goal: Miroku, the houshi, Sango, the last of the taijia, and her flame-neko, Kirara, and Shippo, the kitsune kit."_

"_They also made enemies: Kagura, the Wind Witch, Muso, the Faceless Man, the Shichi'nintai." _

"_Along the way, the miko fell in love with the hanyou." _

"_But, there was a great evil rising. Naraku. Abyss. The evil hanyou, who had manipulated InuYasha and Kikyo into betraying each other, fifty years earlier. This dark puppet-master, too, sought the Shikon shards."_

"_After four long years- _No, Takumi, I will _not_ go into detail, it would take too long. Maybe later._- and ceaseless battles, the jewel was reformed, and Naraku defeated. The miko absorbed the Shikon into herself, so that none might ever use it for evil, making her immortal and ageless."_

"_Unfortunately, happiness was not to be hers. InuYasha decided to make his amends for causing Kikyo's death, and went to hell with her. Miroku and Sango left her, to reform the taijia village. Shippo, the kitsune kit, went to hone his youkai powers with others of his kind."_

"_And thus, the fate of the sad, immortal miko was lost in the stream of time."_

As Kagome finished her story, the children all sat in silent awe. Then, there came slow clapping, as Kurama approached the group. Jin did a double-take, looking back at the spot Kurama had vacated. "When did he…" Jin cut himself off. It was better for all involved to _never_ question the ways of a kitsune.

Kagome looked up, as the children dispersed. "Ah, hello. May I help you?" she asked.

"You mean you don't recognize me?" Kurama asked playfully. "I'm hurt, Kagome."

She frowned. "I'm sorry…do I know you?"

He rolled his eyes. "I _know_ I'm a bit too large to be riding on your shoulders anymore, 'Kaa-san, but, _really_-" He was cut off, as Kagome flung herself at him in a flying-hug-tackle. "_Shippo!_" she cried. "How did you _find_ me?"

He raised a single eyebrow, a gesture so…so…so _Sesshomaru_-_esque_, that she laughed. "A friend." he told her cryptically. "Would this 'friend' happen to be the youkai I've been sensing around the shrine for the past couple of months?" she asked.

Jin's jaw dropped. She'd _known_? And she hadn't _purified_ him? _And _she knew Kurama?

"Jin, why don't you come down and say hello?" Kurama- no, Shippo- no, Youko- no, Shuiichi- ah, screw it, _Kurama_- called.

"An' what kind o' crazy world have ah fallen int'…" Jin grumbled, leaping to the ground. Kurama smiled. "'Kaa-san, meet Jin, the Wind Master. Jin, meet me mother, Kagome Higurashi, the Shikon no Miko."

Eyes the color of the summer sky meet deep, cerulean blue. Kagome looked away first, blushing. Jin captured her hand, lifting it to his lips. "A pleasure t' finally meet ya in person, Kagome-san. Ah've been hearin' a whole lot 'bout this 'Shikon no Miko' lately."

She giggled, understanding the joke. He'd heard it from _her_. "All good, I hope."

"Oh, o' course. Ah don't think _anyone_ could say something' bad 'bout _ye_, lily."

A gagging noise brought their attention back to Kurama. "Not that all this flirting isn't _cute_, but…it isn't cute." he said, glaring at Jin.

Oops. Jin had forgotten how _possessive_ animal youkai could get over something they thought was theirs.

Said Wind Master only smirked, entirely unperturbed.

It was alright. He could _wait_. After all, _he_ was a youkai, and she, an immortal miko. Even if their races _were_ mortal enemies- _and_ her son didn't want him within seeing-distance- they had all the time in the world to make this work.

"_OI!_ Are you two _listening_ to me? Stop _looking_ at each other like that! Jin, she's my _mother_!"

_And_, if spending time with _his_ miko made the normally calm, collected Kurama act like _this_…well, it's not as if Jin _needed_ another reason to like this particular miko.

"Inari damn it all!" Kurama growled.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Th' _feck_ was _that_ for, fox?" Jin yelled, jumping back from the grass that seemed to have developed a sudden taste for wind youkai blood.

"Shippo! Stop that!" Kagome giggled.

But, before all that, Jin decided, he'd best become adept at dodging plant-life.

* * *

_Reviews, please! And, as always, give suggestions! (And, for those of you that care, _Similarities_ will be updated verrrrry soon! I have the newest prompts and dialogue in my *takes deep breath, talks in deep boom-ey type voice* NOTEBOOK OF JUSTICE. So, just hold onto your hats...or whatever it is you hold onto in these situations...) See you all next time!_


	10. A Bit O' Her Heart

Jin thought of the hanyou who'd summoned him warily. He's heard of him, this abyss, this _Naraku_. The evil hanyou poised to take over the world (as clichéd as that sounded), and said evil hanyou had heard of _him_- Jin, a nothing apprentice to one of the most minor shinobi. The wind youkai was honored- if a little creaped out by the hanyou's tendency for randomly sprouting tentacles and various …_other_…appendages.

Naraku had left Jin alone in this reception area for quite a while, and the red-head was getting twitchy. Jin fidgeted uncomfortably. As honored as he was by the hanyou's notice…Naraku's home was so _stuffy_! Well, of _course _it was, he'd stolen it from a ningen, Jin'd heard, and ningen _insisted_ on building their houses with silly, unnecessary things like…like…_walls_. Jin snorted softly. Trust ningen to come up with the odd ideas.

He glanced out the window; it was getting dark, Naraku had left him alone for a _little_ too long, in the wind youkai's opinion. Another snort from Jin, and he made his decision.

"If th' great, bloody git thinks 'e can keep th' wind, he'll be greatly mistaken." an angry Jin muttered.

A snicker from the door startled him. Jin whirled around, to see a youkai woman. Though she'd laughed, her eyes were deadly serious. "Oh, he _does_ keep the wind." she told him scornfully. "Holds the winds heart in his own hands."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "An' who're _ye_, that yeh know so much o' th' wind?" She smirked at him. "I am Kagura, the wind." He blinked, thrown. "An' what does th' _wind_ have t' do with an evil bledger like Naraku, lily?" She grimaced then. "He…owns…me." she spat bitterly, the words a struggle to get out. "An' since when can th' wind be owned?" Jin inquired. "Ah'd assume it has somthin' t' do with that 'heart' business ye'd mentioned."

She started. "You're…clever. Advice, then. Get away from that bastard, Naraku, while you still can."

He thought it over. "Ah believe ah will, lily. Care t' come with me?" A look of sadness flashed across her face for a brief instant. "What I'd give to do that…" she murmured, hand pressed against where her heart should be. He studied the action. "Ach, ah see. That great, bloody spider's got a bit o' _yer_ heart." he said quietly.

"In the literal sense, I'm afraid." she replied. "And I won't get it back until _he's _dead. She smiled suddenly, a vicious smirk. "Won't be long until he is, if he's looking for help from youkai he's got nothing to offer." She glanced him over, an appreciative glint to her eyes. "I'd leave before he thinks to check on you, if you're going to go at all."

Jin winked at her. "Consider me gone, lily." he told her. The wind youkai headed to the door, but Kagura's voice gave him pause.

"Perhaps I'll look you up, once I fly free."

He turned to grin at her. "Th' name's Jin, lily. Ah'll be a-lookin' fer yeh." He blew her a kiss, playfully, before leaving the spider's den behind him.

Kagura watched him go, a light blush dusting her pale features.


End file.
